Raymond was a single father who was harsh on his son due to the difficulties he endured growing up. After receiving a wake-up call from his mother-in-law, he miraculously changed his life for the good of his son.
Raymond knocked on his mother-in-law Stacey’s house. He was there to pick up his 6 year old son Chris. Raymond and Stacey had an agreement for a long time. Stacey would watch Chris while Raymond was at work. He would pick Chris up in the evening if he wasn’t late from work.
Raymond was a single father. The lives of him and his son had changed drastically after Chris’ mother left Raymond in favor of a wealthy man a few years ago.
Surprisingly, Raymond’s mother-in-law sided with him and stopped communicating with her own daughter. She did her best to support Chris and Raymond. Chris loved his son very much and worked hard to raise the boy.
Raymond knocked on the door of Stacey’s modest suburban home. When Stacey got to the door, she saw Raymond yawning and his eyes heavy with bags.
“Someone looks tired. Long day?” Stacey asked.
“What do you mean I’m fired?”
“Yeah, I didn’t get much sleep last night and today was quite a long day,” Raymond said.”Yeah, and I’m pretty sure staying away with your good-for-nothing
friends didn’t help,” Stacey said sardonically. She’s always had an attitude, but she’s always come for the right reason.
“We had a beer after work,” Raymond explained.
“It’s never just one… Besides, you look like a wreck. I think you should take tomorrow off and get some rest. I’ll come over to your house in the morning and help you cook and clean,” Stacey said.
“Oh, Stacey! Where would I be without you!” Raymond said and took her in his arms.
“It’s not for you. It’s for the little boy in there,” Stacey said, gesturing around the house at Chris, who was sitting on the floor playing with his toys.
“Let me come in quick and say hello to the little guy,” Raymond said, entering the house.
Later, Raymond called his boss to try and get the day off. Unfortunately, he was faced with the most shocking news even before he could submit his application.
“What do you mean, I’m fired?” a confused Raymond asked on the phone.
“I’m sorry Raymond. There have been various complaints about you. You’re too slow and inattentive. I would have told you sooner but I was hoping you’d get on your feet. I’m sorry Raymond. I wish you all the best,” the boss concluded, ending the call and leaving Raymond stunned.
“I can’t believe it. My boss just fired me,” Raymond told Stacey.
“I’m very sorry about that Raymond. I’ll tell you what, go to the bar and hang out with one of your friends. Chris can stay with me tonight,” Stacey said. While Raymond sat at their dining table, Stacey cooked in the kitchen while Chris was still happily playing with his toys on the floor.
“The same slackers you were just complaining about?” Raymond scoffed.
“I guess they’re good for something after all,” Stacey said, bursting into laughter. “Don’t worry. You can do it, Raymond.”
Raymond left Chris and Stacey to prepare dinner. Stacey had made her famous pasta with sausage. The scent of sweet Italian sausages filled the house and caressed Chris’ nose as he sat at the table looking forward to his meal.
Stacey dished out a large portion for the boy, who looked shocked. “I can’t eat that much! That’s wrong! We have to conserve food so we have enough money,” Chris said with concern.
Stacey found the boy’s words rather strange. She was even more disturbed by the uneasiness and fear on his face. “Don’t worry Chris. There’s still more than enough to eat. You can eat as much as you want,” she assured him.
The next morning, Stacey walked into the room where Chris was sleeping and was stunned by the sight. She entered the room and found little Chris curled up on the floor with no blanket.
“Chris,” Stacey said in amazement, nudging the boy awake, “why are you sleeping on the floor?”
“Um… Dad’s making me do it!” Chris said.
“He lets you sleep on the floor?” Stacey asked.
“Yeah… He says it builds character,” Chris explained.
Stacey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Angry, Stacey called Raymond and asked him to come to her house immediately. When Raymond arrived shortly thereafter, an angry Stacey was waiting for him on the porch.
“Raymond?! What’s with all this food madness you’re accusing Chris of? Worse, why are you letting the poor kid sleep on the floor?! Speaking of character building!? He’s six, Ramond!” , Stacey snapped.
“It’s not what it looks like. And it’s definitely not as bad as you think it is,” Raymond defended.
“Leaving a six year old to sleep on the floor is pretty bad, Raymond!” Stacey added.
“I know it looks bad… But… But that’s just the way I was raised, Stacey. We were pretty poor growing up and my dad always made sure we faced the harsh realities of outside world. I wanted the same for Chris,” Raymond explained.
“You want poverty for your child, Raymond?” asked a shocked Stacey, unable to follow Raymond’s reasoning.
“That’s not what I’m saying. The real world is tough. I just want my son to be prepared for it. It’s all to improve his life and prepare him,” Raymond said.
“Oh… And what about your gambling? Is that for Chris too?” Stacey asked.
“Gambling?” Raymond said, pretending not to know what Stacey was talking about.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. The bags under your eyes and the late nights. You spent the nights with your buddies at the casino,” Stacey said.
“How do you know that?” Raymond asked.
“My friend Judy from the street works the late shift at the casino and tells me you’ve become something of a regular,” Stacey exclaimed.
“Well, I want to ask you something. It’s quite a big request, too,” Raymond said nervously.
“Yeah, well… Since the cat’s out of the bag, I might as well let the cat out of the bag. I’m in debt, Stacey. Very big debt,” he said.
“What do you mean by that?” Stacey asked worried.
“I mean exactly that! I’m in debt and I barely have enough to make ends meet. Especially now that I’ve lost my job,” Raymond admitted, almost bursting into tears.
“Listen, Raymond… I’m sorry about that. But I still don’t think you should blame it on Chris. On the contrary, you have to do everything you can to ensure that your son never experiences the poverty that you experienced,” explained Stacey and hugged Raymond.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Stacey went from compassionate and personable to determined and stern. “So that’s how things are going to be from now on. My grandchild will stay with me until you pay off your debts and get back on your feet. Otherwise I’ll go to the police and have your parental rights revoked. Those are your options,” he said stacey
Stacey knew Raymond was a good man. While she resented the way he treated his grandchild, she believed Raymond could redeem himself. And Raymond was determined to get his life back on track too.
From that day on, Raymond changed his life. He stopped seeing his friends as often and began working multiple jobs day and night. Every night he came to Stacey’s house and brought toys and candy for Chris. After a few months of tireless work, he finally managed to settle all his debts. One day, Raymond came to Stacey’s house with an urgent request. “Raymond, nice to see you. You look good,” Stacey said, welcoming Raymond into the house. He wore a new, elegant suit.
“Dad!” Chris shouted and jumped into his father’s arms.
“Hey little man! You’re getting bigger!” Raymond chirped.
“Are you here to take me home?” Chris asked.
“Not quite, my boy. I actually came to talk to your grandmother about it,” Raymond said, sitting down on the couch with Chris. “How about you play with your new toys so Grandma Stacey and I can talk in peace? I’ll be right there,” he concluded.
“All right dad,” Chris said, rushing to his room to play.
“He really missed you, you know!?” Stacey said, taking a seat on the couch.
“Yeah, I missed him too,” Raymond said, sitting down with Stacey. “Well, I want to ask you something. It’s quite a big request, too,” Raymond said nervously.
“Okay. Speak up! You know I’m not that into tension,” Stacey insisted.
“That’s 40,000 euros. I wanted to leave it to my daughter, but she didn’t deserve it.”
“All right. I’ve finally paid off all my debts,” Raymond announced.
“Oh wonderful!!! Chris can come home now!” Stacey exclaimed.
“Well… not quite. I was hoping he could stay with you a little longer. I’ve thought a lot about what you said and I want to give my son a better life. So I’m trying to raise money for collecting my own business. I just need a little longer,” Raymond said.
“Business? That’s exactly the kind of conversation I want to hear. Don’t worry. Chris and I will be fine. You just keep fighting to be the father and man I know you are.” it can be,” Stacey said, hugging Raymond.
“I believe in you,” Stacey concluded with a friendly smile. She got up and went to her room, returning with a bag in hand and handing it to Raymond.
“What’s that?” Raymond asked, taking the bag hesitantly.
“It’s 40,000 euros. I wanted to give it to my daughter, but she doesn’t deserve it,” she said. Raymond was stunned when he opened the bag and saw the money inside.
“I can’t take that,” Raymond said.
“Nonsense! It’s an investment for my grandchild. Look, we all make mistakes in life, but only those who acknowledge their mistakes and correct them can find happiness. You’ve come a long way to correct your mistakes. So please take the money,” Stacey said.
“Thanks, Stacey,” Raymond said through tears. He hugged his mother-in-law tightly.
Raymond used the money to start his own trucking business and bought his first truck. Initially, he worked as a sole driver and only hired two truck loaders.
On one of his first assignments he met a young woman, Angela. The two hit it off and soon became a couple. Over the next few months, Raymond’s business gradually grew. Eventually he was able to buy more trucks, open a company office and bring Chris back with him.
After two years he had 30 employees and was engaged to Angela. Not only was Raymond able to ensure his son never lived in the poverty he was used to as a child, but he also taught him the value of hard work. Raymond even ended up buying Stacey a small house by the sea as a token of gratitude for her help.
What can we learn from this story?
Parents should not prepare their children for a difficult life. Instead, they should do everything possible to achieve the best for their children. Raymond had to get out of poverty to give his son the life he didn’t have as a child.
Kindness can go a long way. Stacey’s kindness to the struggling Raymond stood her in good stead as Raymond got his life on track.
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